A patient is frowning and tapping his fingers. What message is he sending?

• A. He is bored
• B. He has lost his patience
• C. He is in pain
• D. He is anxious

Answer: (B)

Interpreting nonverbal cues helps you understand how a patient feels beyond what they say. A frown signals displeasure or irritation, and tapping fingers is a sign of restlessness and a desire to move things along. When these cues appear together, they most strongly indicate that the patient has lost patience and is ready for quicker answers or action. Boredom can show a lack of engagement, but it doesn’t usually include the purposeful, rhythmic tapping. Pain would typically involve guarding, grimacing tied to a specific area, or vocal discomfort. Anxiety tends to show signs like rapid speech, tense posture, or sweating rather than a steady finger-tapping pattern. So the message being sent is that he has lost his patience.